Vendor Application

Participation

Vendor participation and approval is at the sole discretion of the City of Altoona. At any time, approval may be denied or withdrawn, and further participation denied without recourse. The criteria for vendor selection includes, but is not limited to: quality, uniqueness, pricing, and consistency with the Holiday Season.

Acceptance and Fees

Submission of this application does not guarantee acceptance. Space is limited — Vendor selections will be made on a rolling basis at the sole discretion of the City. Acceptance notification will be sent via email and calls will be made to vendors to discuss details of spaces.

Vendor Fees are due upon acceptance and are not refundable. Payment can be made by check or credit card.

No-Show Deposit. The City will hold an additional deposit to guarantee your participation and prevent no-show vendors. Those paying by check should send a separate check with the deposit amount, which will be held and returned after the event and only cashed if you do not show up for your assigned date(s). Credit card information will be securely stored on file and will be billed for the deposit amount if you do not show. In case of a true emergency preventing you from attending, please reach out.

Operating Hours

Hours of operation are subject to change at the City's sole discretion, at any time. Vendors must commit to a single full weekend (either Dec. 4 & 5 OR Dec. 11 & 12), or may sign up for both weekends.

Friday, December 4th, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 5th, 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Friday, December 11th, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 12th, 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Please note that, in an attempt to make things easier on our vendors, we are doing our best to make arrangements for overnight security both Friday nights overnight, so that vendors who feel comfortable leaving items overnight at their own risk can do so and do not need to break down their full set-up from Friday into Saturday. We will keep you apprised of what these arrangements look like once finalized.

Tree Lighting, Parade, Cookie Crawl & Other Events

All of our Downtown holiday events will be centered around the Holiday Market. This includes our downtown tree lighting on Friday, Dec. 4 and the Spirit of Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 5. We are also adding new events this year to coincide with the second weekend of the market dates. This will include a Downtown Cookie Crawl, a Mini Maker Market, and a kid's day. Other events may be added and announced.

Vendor Requirements

Vendors are required to be open during official operating hours or as determined by the City. Vendors may not be open beyond or close earlier than the official operating hours listed except as authorized by the City. Vendors must be open for business for the full time each day the Market is open. As mentioned above, a deposit will be held to hold our vendors accountable to the set market days and hours.

Staff must present themselves in a friendly, professional, and hospitable manner always.

Inclement Weather

In the event of a violent storm, or dangerously frigid temperatures, defined as wind chills remaining in the single digits throughout the duration of the Market, the City will have the option to close the Market as a whole or move vendors to additional indoor locations. Vendors will not have the option to close independently of the Market as a whole. Pending a City decision to that effect, Vendors are required to stay open regardless of inclement conditions.

Set-up & Parking

Vendors will receive information and instructions on load in closer to the event. Vendors will be given the opportunity to unload and load vehicles outside of market operating hours close to their space. Vendors will be asked to move their vehicles to the 11th Ave. parking garage (approximately one block away). Parking will be free in the garage, and by parking our vendors in the garage we can free up more on-street parking for event attendees.

Vendor Locations

All vendor locations will be solely determined at the discretion of the City of Altoona. We hope to be able to honor indoor/outdoor space requests, though the actual indoor/outdoor spaces assigned will vary. Indoor spaces will utilize available real estate within the Downtown buildings and are subject to change if spaces become unavailable closer to event date.

Outdoor Vendor Space Information

Vendor spaces are 10x10 under the pavilion structure in Heritage Plaza. Although you will be partially covered by the pavilion, we are asking all vendors to bring a 10x10 pop-up tent so that we can create a more cohesive market-stall look, and this will give our outdoor vendors the chance to wall-in their tents for heating purposes.

Vendors must bring their own propane heaters that are appropriate size to heat their 10x10 space.

Heaters should be used in a safe manner, with space on and around heaters remaining clear.

Electricity is available, but limited, and must be approved with initial application.

Quiet/inverter generator use (50–60 dBA) will be considered on a case-by-case basis, as-needed.

Vendors are asked to decorate their tent/space with holiday garland, lights, and other tasteful and festive décor; battery-powered lights are preferred due to limited electricity. (The tree/our lights are multi-colored lights, if you prefer to match with the overall market area.)

Vendors must bring their own signage and holiday decorations, though the City reserves the right to final approval of signage and decorations and to request removal of decorations that do not fit well with the look and theme.

Placing displays, signage, or merchandise anywhere outside of your 10x10 space without approval is not permitted.

Indoor Vendor Space Information

Indoor vendor spaces are tentatively also 10x10, though this is subject to change. These will be assigned based on number of vendors and best fit, based on items sold, to various indoor locations throughout Downtown and are subject to change, as-needed. These vendors, despite being indoors, are also asked to bring a 10x10 pop-up tent so that we can carry our cohesive market-stall look and feel into our indoor spaces.

Electricity is available, but limited, and must be approved with initial application.

Vendors are asked to decorate their tent/space with holiday garland, lights, and other tasteful and festive décor; battery-powered lights are preferred due to limited electricity.

Vendors must bring their own signage and holiday decorations, though the City reserves the right to final approval of signage and decorations and to request removal of decorations that do not fit well with the look and theme.

Placing displays, signage, or merchandise anywhere outside of your 10x10 space without approval is not permitted.

Because these indoor spaces are in buildings/businesses owned by third parties, we ask that these vendors also respect any additional requests made by the property owners. The City will try to be an intermediary between such requests, but ultimately property owners will have final say.

Trash

Vendors are responsible for disposing of their trash. Vendors must bag and tie-off trash and deposit it in the provided dumpster or drop location. Vendors should not deposit trash in public trash bins. Indoor vendors should plan to use the City-provided drop locations or the dumpster located in Heritage Plaza, not the dumpsters of the buildings you are housed in.

Market Security

Altoona Police Department will routinely patrol the outdoor Holiday Market footprint. The City will arrange for overnight security for our outdoor space beginning both Friday nights (8pm) into Saturday morning (11am) so that vendors can leave items they feel comfortable leaving overnight.

Indoor spaces will be locked overnight, though existing businesses/staff in the space will have access.

Vendors in all locations should take high value items with them overnight. Vendors in all locations should plan to secure their space by closing tent walls or tarping their tents/tables at the end of the night. We understand it would be an inconvenience to have to fully break down Friday night and set back up again Saturday morning, so we are doing our best to provide some means for you to leave what you feel comfortable leaving. The City does not assume liability for loss or damage, regardless of circumstance. Unless prior arrangements are made, nothing can be left from weekend to weekend.

No Smoking

Vendors are not permitted to smoke anywhere in or near the Holiday Market. No open flames are permitted.

Products and Revocation

The City reserves the right to approve all products and merchandise offered or displayed in the Market. The City further reserves the right to require removal from the Market of any items deemed, at the City's sole discretion, unattractive, inappropriate or inferior. The City reserves the right to revoke products, items or merchandise due to the receipt of public complaints or business practices or conduct deemed detrimental to the Market.

Vendors must guarantee the authenticity of the products. False advertising or misleading representation regarding the country of origin of any merchandise will not be tolerated. If found guilty of misleading or misidentifying products the City reserves the right to have said products removed from the Market.

All products that Vendors plan to sell must be listed on the Holiday Market Application. Items that are not included in the Application may be removed by the City. Exclusives are not guaranteed to any Vendor.

Dismantling

Vendors cannot break down spaces until 8 p.m. each night. Spaces must be left in their original and clean condition at the end of each weekend. Items cannot be left from weekend to weekend, unless arranged with the City. Overnight security will only be provided each Friday overnight into Saturday, in Heritage Plaza.

Government Licenses and Taxes

Vendors are responsible for complying with all requirements and regulations necessary to conduct business in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City of Altoona. Vendors may be inspected at any time by government agencies.

Vendor's Indemnity

Vendor shall indemnify, defend, and save and hold the City of Altoona and their respective officers, employees, directors, representatives, agents or assigns of the City of Altoona, harmless from and against any and all claims, suits, actions, damages, liabilities or expenses (including actual attorney's fees and costs) arising from or out of, or in any way related to or connected with the Vendor's participation in the Market or the use by the Vendor or its agents, employees, or contractors, guests, or invitees of the Market.

Vendor Remedies

Vendor specifically waives all claims, suits, actions, damages, liabilities or other remedies arising from or out of, or in any way related to or connected with the Vendor's participation in the Market or the use by the Vendor or its agents, employees, or contractors, guests, or invitees of the Market. The City of Altoona provides no guarantee of results of event to Vendor.

Force Majeure

The City of Altoona shall not be liable for any damage, cancellation, or modification of the Market under any circumstance, except as specified elsewhere in this document, including but not limited to conditions beyond their control (including but not limited to accidents, breakdowns, strikes, interruptions or failure of services, supplies, equipment, labor, energy or infrastructure, acts of war, terrorism or similar threats to security; or orders or decisions of any court or governmental body, authority or agency, or other causes) which make it impractical or inadvisable to hold the Market.

Intellectual Property

Vendor hereby acknowledges and agrees that intellectual property rights, including, but not limited to, copyrights, trademark rights, and patent rights in and to, for example, designs, logos, marks, and marketing materials, are assets with tangible and intangible competitive value. Accordingly, Vendor agrees to respect the intellectual property rights and interests of other vendors and agrees to refrain from intentionally or recklessly interfering with, or infringing upon, the intellectual property rights and interests of other vendors. Vendor hereby acknowledges and understands that any dispute or conflict with or between another vendor in relation to intellectual property rights and interests is a dispute or conflict only involving such parties. At no time and in no way shall the City of Altoona intermediate between or be responsible for the intellectual property rights and interests of vendors. Vendor hereby agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold the City of Altoona harmless from and against all claims, charges, disputes, conflicts, controversies, demands, actions, and proceedings, at law and in equity, directly and indirectly related to any intellectual property right and interest of Vendor and any intellectual property dispute with any other vendor. Vendor acknowledges and understands that Vendor, and only Vendor, is responsible for policing, enforcing, and defending its intellectual property rights and interests. In the event of any intellectual property dispute with any other vendor, Vendor hereby agrees to pursue amicable resolution of the dispute prior to initiating any legal proceeding. Any breach or violation of this section shall authorize the City to terminate this Agreement and/or dismiss Vendor from the event, in the judgment of the City. Vendor understands and acknowledges that it is Vendor's exclusive duty and obligation to properly protect, maintain, and police its intellectual property rights and interests.